A total of Sh28 billion capitation for Primary and Secondary school students will be disbursed by Friday this week, Education Cabinet Secretary Mr Ezekiel Machogu has said.
This news comes as a relief to many schools which were struggling to sustain learning activities.
The amount of money government gives in form of capitation is Sh1,420 per pupil in primary schools while in junior secondary every pupil gets Sh15,040. Senior secondary school students receive Sh22,240 each.
“We will be releasing the funds this week on Friday to all schools. A total of Sh28 billion has been disbursed and will be in all the schools’ accounts,” said Mr Machogu.
There were concerns over delay in disbursement of capitation to schools which was complicating running of schools.
School managers have for a very long time been calling for release of the funds so that they could meet the students and administrative needs.
The capitation usually facilitates successful running of the Free Primary Education (FPE) and the Free Day secondary Education (FDSE) and when disbarment is delayed, the school managers faces a myriad of challenges.
According to stakeholders and several school heads, the most affected by the numerous delays by the ministry to release capitation are the day secondary schools which rely mostly on the funds to operate.
The situation is made worse by some parents who also do not meet their financial obligation which means many programs are interfered with.
Their hands are however tied with the government insisting that no child should be sent home for non-payment of school fess.
But now the Education CS insists that the with capitation and the new funding model, parents have to ensure their children are not absent from schools.
“There is no excuse for parents to keep children at home due to lack of school fees, because the government is paying part of the school fees in each and every level of education from Primary to the university,” said Mr Machogu.
The model was unveiled by President William Ruto on May 3rd this year based on the recommendations of the Education taskforce led by Prof Raphael Munavu.
Under the new funding model, universities and TVETs will no longer receive block funding in the form of capitation based on a Differentiated Unit Cost. Funding will take the form of loans, scholarships and household contributions on a graduated scale.
According to the model, the government will provide 59 percent scholarships, 34 percent loans, and the student will pay only 7 percent.
Vulnerable students such as orphans and those who earn less than Sh23, 000 will receive full government scholarship.
Mr Machogu was speaking on Tuesday in West Asembo during the disbursement of Government infrastructure support funds to several schools in Rarieda Sub-county of Siaya County.
Accompanied by Mr Eliud Owalo Cabinet Secretary for ICT and Digital Economy, they disbursed a total of Sh9 million from the national government which went to Siger Secondary School (Sh5 Million); Kametho Primary School (Sh2 Million) and Siger Primary School (Sh2 Million).
Mr Owalo said their focus is also on equipping schools and other learning institutions with computers and taking them through digital economy.
So far, together with Mr Owalo, they have spearheaded the roiling out of 51 digital laboratories in the whole country with the target remaining 100 this financial year ending June 30th.
“All our Technical and vocational institutions will be provided with digital laboratories where students will be taught and skills impacted to gain access competencies which will help them acquire international jobs,” said Mr Owalo.
“Next time when I come here in Siaya, we will be launching digital laboratories in St Mary’s Lwak Girls High School, Ngíya Girls, Ramba, Usenge and St Mary’s Yala,” said Mr Owalo.
